Wesley Clark

After earning a Silver Star in Vietnam as a commander, Clark continued up the Army ranks, becoming General in time for the Gulf War. He served as military negotiator in Bosnia and was then chosen to be Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Clark managed the attacks on Kosovo without a single American casualty. Then, in 2003, this war hero announced he would seek the Democratic Party's nomination and wanted to challenge George W. Bush's presidency. He has since dropped out of the race, but there's no doubt that Clark is a leading man.

Appeal

At 60 years old, Wesley Clark is still looking trim, energetic and youthful. Though he doesn't have the appeal of Bill Clinton, we're sure some of his adoring fans like him for more than just his poise at the podium. Of course, Clark is happily married and surely doesn't worry about how many ladies dream of him at night.

Success

Since the 1970s, Wesley Clark has been making a name for himself. After graduating first in his class at West Point, Clark received a scholarship at Oxford University in England and left two years later a Rhodes Scholar.

When the Vietnam War broke out, Clark was there to serve and was assigned to command a mechanized infantry company.

During a patrol in the jungle, his troops were ambushed and in the fray, Clark was shot four times. When the dust cleared, the injured commander gathered his men and pressed on, overpowering the surrounding Viet Cong. Months later, after Clark was recovering from his wounds in the U.S., he received a Silver Star for bravery.

Following rehabilitation, Clark decided to stay with the Army and soon worked his way up to General. He trained soldiers in Colorado and Germany and, when the Gulf War began, he became Commander of the Army's National Training Center.

When the Iraq-Kuwait conflict ended, Clark began working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1995, when the Balkans was a source of unrest, he was promoted to military negotiator and played a big role in bringing the war in Bosnia to an end at the Dayton peace talks.

Two years later, Clark became Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, the same position Dwight Eisenhower once held.

This incredible position meant he had the responsibility of handling the genocide in Kosovo. With an air-only attack, Clark brought the ethnic cleansing to an end and soon after captured Slobodan Milosevic.

When his tenure atop NATO ended in 2000, Clark turned toward politics. In 2003, he formally announced his running for the Democratic Party's nomination. His charisma and aggressive platform have rounded up millions of followers and, despite the fact that he threw in the towel on February 11th, 2004, he still remains an important player in the 2004 Democratic primaries.

Wesley Clark Biography

An only child, Wesley Kanne was born on December 23rd, 1944, in Chicago. He took the last name Clark after his World War I veteran father, Benjamin Kanne, passed away when Wesley was almost 4. His mother soon remarried and had her son's name changed from Kanne to that of his stepfather's, (Victor) Clark.

welsey clark, rhodes scholar

Settled in Little Rock, Arkansas, Wesley showed he was an overachiever as early as secondary school. At Hall High School, he was a star swimmer and honor student. He was also very interested in the ongoing Cold War and felt it was his duty to protect his country. At 17, he enrolled at the United States Military Academy at West Point, bent on serving the United States.

At the end of his training, Clark graduated first in his class and, straight out of a Hollywood script, had also met his wife-to-be, Gert, at a dance for the Navy in New York. The romance did not last long, however, as Clark accepted a scholarship to Oxford University and graduated a Rhodes Scholar two years later. He only returned to his wife a short time before he had to leave once again, this time to serve in the Vietnam War.

wesley clark, the war hero

One day, when Clark was 25 and commanding a mechanized infantry company in the Vietnamese jungle, his life would change forever. Ambushed by the Viet Cong, he was shot four times before he was able to find cover.

Despite the critical wounds, Clark was able to shout commands to his troops, who quickly organized an attack of their own and overwhelmed the enemy. After this effort, medics treated Clark and then ordered that he be flown back to the United States to heal.

Back home, Clark received two gifts. First, he was able to see his newborn son, Wesley Jr., for the first time. Second, the Army gave him a Silver Star in honor of his bravery.

When fully healed, Clark decided to stay with the Army and began working at military schools, training battalions in Germany and Colorado. After he successfully turned previously subpar units into productive ones, he was elevated to the rank of General.

general clark in desert storm

He was able to use this new authority when the Gulf War broke out, acting as the Commander of the Army's National Training Center.

Clark also displayed some great leadership skills during the Desert Storm battles, overseeing the 1st Cavalry Division's three separate emergency deployments to Kuwait. Once the war ended, the Army and U.S. government recognized Clark for his efforts and promoted him in 1994.

He began working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, and contributed immediately: Clark insisted that the Pentagon and the United Nations work together to devise an exit plan during the '94 invasion of Haiti.

His strategy worked and he was promoted yet again, this time to military negotiator during the 1995 conflict in the Balkans.

clark in the balkans

This new position was not without drama. During a trip to the Balkans, Clark was traveling on a mountain road when an armored personnel carrier carrying three top negotiators went over the edge. He jumped out of his car and scrambled down the mountainside to the wreckage, only to discover that all passengers in the carrier had perished. The loss, which he blamed on Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, renewed Clark's desire to end the conflict, which he helped do a few months later at the Dayton peace talks.

clark becomes supreme allied commander

With all his credits, including a posting as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Southern Command, NATO could not think of a better person to become its new Supreme Allied Commander.

Clark took the high-ranking position in 1997, and made it his mandate to resolve the genocide and ethnic cleansing that was taking place in Kosovo. Using only fighter planes and other air power, Clark completed this task, which did not result in one American casualty and eventually led to the capture of Milosevic.

clark receives presidential medal of freedom

After his position at NATO ended in May 2000, Clark was considered a real American hero. He was knighted by the British and Dutch governments, and received the French Legion of Honor.

Back home, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest possible civilian honor.

wesley heads to politics

Having been so well-received in the U.S. after his feats in Kosovo, Clark decided to get involved in politics. He began as a commentator for CNN and authored the book Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat, before officially announcing his entry into the Democratic Party's nomination race in September 2003.

His background in both the Army and as an investment banker and CEO of Wesley K. Clark and Associates (a consulting firm) meant he was well-prepared to offer voters a full platform.

clark for president?

Although he was well-received and ranked in the top four at the Democratic primaries, on February 11th, 2004, Clark abandoned his bid to become the next president, after Democratic opponent, John Kerry, won 12 out of 14 regions in the race to become the Democratic challenger to Republican president George W. Bush.

Nevertheless, one thing's for sure: Clark will always inspire and motivate wherever he goes, be it in public or private office.